Let's start by asking ourselves...what is “K”?
Well, K is an original series that began airing in the Fall of 2012. It's animated by the studio GoHands and directed by Shingo Suzuki. He is also responsible for some of the character designs for the series. The series apparently also has manga adaptations with a prequel known as K: Memory of Red. Well, anyways, the series is quite mysterious...
For instance, what the hell does “K” actually stand for?
Some of the titles of the episodes suggest things such as “Knight”, “Kitten”, “Kill”, “Key”, Karma”, etc. I often wonder why it's like this. Sure the titles might give off some hints. Example: episode 2 titled Kitten is dedicated to Neko-chan who is..a cat or kitten. However, most of them are rather vague and leaves it to the viewers' imaginations.
Story: 3
Seriously, what the hell. Are the directors serious here? No, that's not even a serious question because the story of K is a joke, one that's not entertaining at all. We begin the first episode with Shiro apparently framed for murder. From there on and out, the series becomes a sort of cat-and-mouse scenario where he gets hunted down. But then, there are the side episodes and occasionally flash backs involving other characters. I have to say that this does NOT work out right. It's like trying to cook a dish without the proper ingredients.
Think of it this way. You want to make a pizza. You have the dough, the ingredients, the oven, etc. Then, when the time comes to make it, the pizza turns into shit because it's mixed in the wrong way. K is no different to be honest.
Oh but that's not all. K also tries too damn hard. It resorts to using some plot twists and thriller like sequences but it doesn't work. Why? The series' scriptwriting is just awful. The plot is revealed but what is the main purpose of it? I almost feel like nothing when I'm watching this series. It's slow with a capital S. S for shit in the storyline department.
Characters: 4
Almost, all the characters in my opinion lacks something or has qualities that are cliched, generic, and not done right. Let's take a look at our three main protagonists starting with the kid who has been on the run from the very beginning:
*Yashiro "Shiro" Isana – he is the happy and outgoing guy of the series. He often makes jokes but at the same time is quite respectable to his peers and classmates. There is a big secret about this character but we don't find that out till nearly the very end.
*Kuroh "Black Dog, Kuro" Yatogami – this guy even has a side story dedicated to him. Talk about being on the spotlight! But anyways, Kuroh is pretty much the opposite of Shiro. A few words that can describe him are “quiet, mysterious, haughty, caring, loyal, and courageous”. Yet at the same time, he lacks a personality. Seriously, he doesn't have much of a personality at all except when he interacts with the two main protagonists.
*Neko – Oh who am I kidding here, this is probably one of the reason why more than 80% of the demographic are watching the series. Neko is a very energetic young girl with a curious personality like a cat. Curiosity killed the cat? Neko actually brings that expression to reality in a few times when she acts before she thinks. She's got a million dollar body but a 2-cent brain. She doesn't like to wear clothes and often times or not, clings onto her beloved “Shiro” as she likes to call him.
The rest of the characters seems to play roles only in action rather than in the actual story, the one that moves ridiculously slow. The Red King and Blue King clashes in the latter half of the series but once again, it's cliched with the usual egoistic talk and dragged monotone speeches. The righteousness from the Blue King also seems ironic since he wishes to protect the students yet his group is responsible for the danger of their lives in the first place.
Artwork: 8
Alright, I admit it. The artwork of the series is amazing. It's like you're in a dream where everything is colorful and presented in a way that is at cinema level. The blue aura backgrounds and the characters' outfit designs makes them look like bosses and gives off that cool feeling which is one of the positives of the series. It is no doubt that the artwork and visuals represents the highlight of the series. Pretty cool designs I'd say even though some of the clothing doesn't look too original. Yes, I'm looking at you, Full Metal Alchemist and Tegami Bachi.
Soundtrack/Music: 7
Although not up to the art standards, the soundtrack of the series is well presented. Some of the OST are pleasant to listen to whether it's a dramatic, action, or emotional scene. The opening song , "King”, by angela is also well performed where it depicts a montage of the main as well as the supporting characters.
The ending song though is just a slap in the face. We see..well, mostly Neko wearing almost nothing as she doesn't like to wear clothes making suggestive poses. It's just pure fan-service and nothing more. Once again, it tries to use its visuals to do the talking rather than expressing.
Overall, this series deserves a “5”. The story is so damn slow and the characters give generic a whole new meaning. Luckily, the soundtrack and artwork makes up for this. Yet, at many stances, I feel that K isn't doing a right job of progressing its episodes. Although the plot eventually reveals itself, it shouldn't make an excuse to make the audience wait. Now, I'm not saying this series is the worst garbage ever created. If you enjoyed the series, then do what makes you happy. However, K did not live up to its expectations. At first, I thought I was watching some good bullshit from K but that doesn't seem to be the case now. K is just bullshit and I can't recommend this to anyone.
